Folding bed.



PATENTED FEB. 7, 1905. J. L. TANDY.

FOLDING BED.

APPLIUATION FILED APB.19, 1904.

UNITED STATES Patented February 7, 1905.

JOHN L. TANDY, OF HORTON, KANSAS.

FOLDING BED.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 781,694, dated February 7, 1905.

' Application filed April 19, 1904. Serial No. 203,854.

2'0 wZZ whont it 'Hl/(Lj/ concern Be it known that .1, JOHN L. TANDY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Horton, in the county of Brown and State of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful 1m p rovements in Folding Beds, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to folding beds, and more especially to that type known as mantel foliiling beds; and my object is to produce an article of this character composed of two sections having a drop-joint connection and so arranged that one assists in the entire folding operation and resists or counterbalances in the u n folding operation, the other assisting in the latter part of both operations.

\Vith this and other objects in view the invention consists in certain novel and peculiar features of construction and organization, as hereinafter described and claimed, and in order that it may be fully understood reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a perspective view of a folding bed embodying my invention with the drapery omitted. Fig. 2 is a central vertical section of the bed when folded to inoperative position with the drapery also omitted.

in the said drawings, 1 designates right-angle standards connected by cross-pieces 2 or their equivalents and by a horizontal and forwardly-pro j ecting shelf or mantelpiece 3, having a suitable ornamental molding-strip 4, the shelf or mantelpiece being braced from the corner-standards 1 by knee-braces 5 or otherwise.

6 represents base-sills projecting forwardly from the lower ends of standards 1, suitable knee-braces 7 connecting said standards and sills together. The sills are also connected by a cross-piece 8.

The structure thus far described constitutes the rigid and upright portion of the framework of the bed.

The bed-frame proper is of jointed construction, the rear or head-rail section comprising head-rail 9, pivoted, as at 10, to and between the standards 1, and the parallel side rails or arms 11, rigidly connected at their front ends by a cross-brace 12, the body of which brace is disposed below the plane of the lower edges of said arms, so as to permit the spring-mattress, hereinafter more particularly referred to, to sag a suitable distance without interference.

The front or foot-rail section of the bedframe comprises a foot-rail or end piece 13 and side rails or arms let, the latter being mounted pivotally at their rear endson pivots 15, which are preferably the same that unite arms 11 and brace 12. The side rails'or arms 14 are also provided with rigidly-depemling portions 16, which are pivotally connected, as at 17, to links 18, pivoted, as at 19, to the vertical port-ions of the angular sills 6, these arms 16 and links 18 forming toggles between the jointed ends of the bed-frame sections and the sills. The foot-rail may be provided with a skeleton foot-rail 20.

To support the foot or front end of the bedframe, I. pivot to side rails 1a the legs 21, the legs having extensions or lugs 22 above their pivotal points for a purpose which hereinafter appears, and to clamp the detachable or bed mattress (not shown) against the spring-mattress while the bed is folded or is being folded or unfolded I provide an arch 23, pivoted to the rails 14 just forward of legs 21 and provided with extensions or lugs 21 below its pivotal points.

A cover or front 25 for the bed when folded may have its face ornamented or embellished in any desired manner and not only performs the covering function mentioned, but also is employed as a link between the legs and the head-rail section of the bed-frame. It is pivoted to the lugs 26, projecting forwardly from the legs a distance about equal to the thickness of the cover, and at its rear corners is provided with hook-shaped bars 27, pivotally connected to the cross-brace 12.

To fold the bed to inoperative position, the operator lifts the foot end of the bed-frame, this action causing the toggles to be contracted by the forward movement of their pivots 17 and the jointed ends of the bedframe sections to drop downward with pivot 10 as the axis of motion. Owing to the relative proportion of the parts and the dropjoint connection, the foot-rail section of the bed-frame can be raised very easily. After being raised to approximately an angle of eighty degrees it will continue its folding movement automatically, owing to the fact that its hinge-point 17 is disposed a considerable distance relatively forward of the pivots 15, the gravitative action of the head-rail section assisting in the folding operation. The folding action continues until the head and foot rail sections eventually assume the positions shown in Fig. 2, in which positions their gravitative tendency maintains them, the arms 16 resting on the sills 6.

As the bed starts upward in the folding movement just described the downward movement of brace 12, assisted by the gravitative tendency of the cover and the legs, moves said cover downward and toward the foot-rail section and folds the legs toward said section. Eventually said parts assume the position shown in Fig. 2; but before doing so the lugs 22 come in contact with lugs 24 and force and hold the arch-clamp 23 tightly against the said bed-mattress to prevent the latter slipping downward, it being understood that before the bed is lifted the operator forces said clamp down onto said mattress to hold it until the lifting of the bed has progressed sufficiently to cause the legs to press the clamp heavily against the bed-mattress.

hen the bed is being lowered and the cover is automatically. moving toward its original position, the pressure applied by the legs is removed from the clamp; but as the latter is not attached to said legs it continues to hold the mattress until swung by hand back to its original position, as shown in Fig. 1, where it is out of the way of the bed-occupants feet.

For the purpose of completely hiding the bed-frame from view when not in use the following construction is provided: The shelf or mantel is equipped with a suitable number of spring-clasps 27 as a support for the drapery, (not shown,)and retractile coil-springs 28 are threaded through the customary loop at the upper end of the drapery, the front end of each spring being detachably secured to the central clasp 27 or its equivalent, the springs being then slipped up into the intermediate guide-Clasps, which retain it and the drapery in proper position, as will be readily understood. The rear ends of the springs 28 are connected to the upper ends of cables 29, running over guide-pulleys 30, secured to the upright frame, and under guide-pulleys 31, secured to the said frame some distance below the pivotal point 10, and from the last-named pulleys to pins 32, secured to the head-rail section of the bed-frame. When the bed is to be unfolded, the front ends of the springs are detached from the middle clasps 27 and permitted to contract, which action will draw the draperies outward, so as to expose the major portion of the cover or front of the bed-frame. The latter is then grasped and unfolded, which action causes the head-rail section as it swings upward to the position shown in Fig. 1 to pull the upper ends of the cables 29, and therefore the springs and draperies, sufficiently to withdraw the latter from in front of the bed-frame. After the bed-frame is refolded, which of course results in removing the tension from the springs by the lowering of the head-rail section, the operator grasps the free ends of the springs or draperies and draws them inward, this action first taking up the slack in the cables and then stretching the springs until they can be again engaged with the central clasp 27.

The spring-mattress 33, preferably of the type shown, but which may be of any other suitable or preferred type, is stretched upon and secured to the bed-frame sections in the usual or any preferred manner and is automatically stretched to the desired tension by the upward movement of the drop-joint connections 15. To stiffen the mattress along its longitudinal center, I provide transverse bars 34, secured to some of the middle strands of said mattress and to the head and foot rails by retractile springs 35. These springs by reason of greater strength or because there are more of them, as shown in Fig. 1, strengthen and stiffen the mattress, asstated, and thus prevent it sagging lowest at its middle, and therefore tending to roll the occupants of the bed toward the middle. As said cross-bars and their spring connection with the head and foot rails are duplicates, only one set appears.

From the above description it will be apparent thatIhave produced afolding bed embodying the features of ad vantage enumerated as desirable in the statement of invention and which may obviously be modified. in some particulars without departing from the principle of construction involved or sacrificing any of its advantages.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A folding bed, comprising an upright portion; a bed-frame portion consisting of a head-rail section having a fixed pivotal connection with the upright portion and adapted to swingup or down from such pivotal point, and a foot-rail section pivoted at one end to the proximate end of the head-rail section, and provided at such end with rigidly-depending arms; and links pivotally connecting said arms with the base of the upright portion.

2. A folding bed, comprising an upright portion having sills, a bed-frame portion comprising a head-rail section pivoted to the upright portion with its sides overhanging said sills, and a foot-rail section, having its sides pivoted to the sides of the head-rail section, arms depending rigidly from the jointed ends of the sides of the foot-rail section, links pivotally connecting said depending arms with the sills, and a cross-brace between the jointed ends of said side rails.

A folding bed, comprising an upright portion, a bed-frame portion comprising a head-rail section pivoted to the upright portion, and a foot-rail section having a dropjoint connection with the head-rail section, and pivoted legs, means for supporting the jointed connection of the bed-frame sections in about the same horizontal plane as the head and foot rails when the bed-frame is unfolded, and means whereby the downward movement of the head-rail section shall fold the legs against the foot- 'ail section.

&. A folding bed, comprising an upright portion, a bed-frame portion, comprising a head-rail section pivoted to the upright portion, and a foot-rail section having a dropjoint connection with the head-rail section and pivoted legs, means for supporting the joint ed connection of the bed-frame sections in about the same horizontal plane as the head and foot rails when the bed is unfolded, and means for pivotally linking said legs with the head rail section.

5. A folding bed, comprising an upright portion, a bed-frame portion, comprising a head-rail section pivoted to the upright portion, and a foot-rail section having a dropjoint connection with the head-rail section and pivoted legs, means fol-supporting thejointed connection of the bed-frame section in about the same horizontal plane as the head and foot rails when the bed is unfolded, and a cover or front pivotally connected to the legs and to the head-rail section.

6. A folding bed,comprising an upright portion having a mantel, a bed-frame to fold up below the mantel, suitable guides depending from the mantel, drapery-supports extending through said guides and each having its front end detachably engaging a guide, and flexible connections suitably guided between the rear ends of said drzmery-supports and the bedframe whereby the unfolding of the latter shall move said supports when freed at their front ends to withdraw the drapery from the path of the bed-frame.

T. A folding bed,eom prising an upright portion having a mantel, a bed-frame to fold up below the mantel, suitable guides depending from the mantel, coil-spring d rapery-supports extending through said guides and each having its front end detachably engaging a guide,and flexible connections suitably guided between the rear ends of said coil-spring drapery-supports and the bed-frame whereby the unfolding of the latter shall move said supports when freed at their front ends from the path of the bed-frame.

8. Afolding bed,comprisingau upright portion, a folding-bed-frame portion, comprising a head-rail section pivoted to the upright portion, and a foot-rail section having a dropjoint connection with the head-rail section and provided with legs, a toggle connection between the drop-joint connection and the upright portion. a mantel projecting from the upright portion, suitable guides depending from the mantel, coil-spring drapery-supports extending through said guides and each having its front end detaehabl y engaging a guide, and flexible connections suitably guided between the rear ends of said coil-spring drapery-supports and the head'rail section whereby the unfolding of the bed-frame shall move said supports when freed at their front ends, from the path of the bed-frame.

9. A folding bed, comprising a head-rail and a foot-rail section drop-jointed together hinged legs secured to the foot-rail section, a bed-mattress clamp pivoted to the foot-rail section, means to fold said legs, and means to cause the folding legs to force the clamp toward the spring-mattress.

10. A folding bed, comprising a head-rail and a foot-rail section drop-jointed together, hinged legs secured to the foot-rail section and provided with lugs, a bed-mattress clamp pivoted to the foot-rail section and provided with lugs, and means to fold the legs and cause their lugs to engage the lugs of the clamp and thereby force the latter toward the springmattress.

In testimony whereof laflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN L. TANI.)Y.

\Vitnesses:

1-1. (1. Ronenns, G. Y. 'lnonrn. 

